By Mohamed Farag
Forty-four companies have obtained the tender conditions for the establishment of a 200 MW solar power plant in a build-own-operate (BOO) project proposed by the government.
Sources at the Ministry of Electricity said a large number of Arab and foreign companies have obtained the tender conditions, including Sterling and Wilson, Enel Energy, FAS, Abdul Latif Jameel, ACWA Power, Orascom, SunEdison, First Solar, Lekela Power, Al Tawakol, Elsewedy Electric, Gigawatt Global, Terra Sola, Sun Power, and Scatec Solar, among others.
The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) has set a number of requirements that must be met by proposing companies. These include experience in establishing at least three solar power plants of no less than 50 MW. Technical and financial offers and proposals will be presented on 2 November.
The sources added renewable energy officials at the EETC held a meeting with the proposing companies to agree on the final framework for implementing the project.
According to the sources, a short list of 15 companies will be formed. These companies will conduct topographical and technical studies for the project, whereby the costs will be split between them, before submitting the financial and technical proposal to choose the least expensive.
However, investors have objected to the EETC’s proposal to have the companies conduct the studies and share the cost, and called for the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) to conduct the required studies, and be paid for them. The investors expressed concern over the possible repetition of the delay of the Kom Ombo 200 MW power plant, which was announced in mid-2013 and has not yet been established.
The sources also said the EETC emphasised the speed of procedures governing the tender and steps, as the shortlist of potential candidates will be announced two weeks after receiving the proof of experience from all companies.
The planned projects fall under the Ministry of Electricity’s strategy to produce 20% of all energy from renewable energy by 2020. The sources indicated that the EETC will buy produced energy and transmit it to load centres for 25 years, according to the power purchase agreement.
